Friday, October 15, 2021
Progressives on the Burlington City Council are calling on Mayor Miro Weinberger to stop the eviction of two dozen houseless people from the Sears Lane encampment.
Weinberger, a Democrat, ordered police on Thursday to start the process of breaking up the South End site after two arrests there on Wednesday: one man was cited for drug trafficking and another for threatening firefighters with a weapon. The residents have until Tuesday, October 19, at 5 p.m. to vacate, or they may face legal action, according to the eviction notice posted around the site.
In an emailed statement Friday, council Progs acknowledged the public safety concerns but argued that disbanding the camp — without providing other housing options — won't make the city safer.
"In all likelihood, this action will shift these issues to another part of the city, without addressing the underlying conditions that got us here in the first place," the statement reads.
Tags: Burlington City Council. Burlington Progressives , Burlington , Mayor Miro Weinberger , homelessness , Sears Lane , Web Only , Image
Thursday, October 14, 2021
Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger directed city police on Thursday to clear out a long-established homeless encampment in the South End following arrests there this week.
Residents have until 5 p.m. on October 19 to vacate the Sears Lane site, which has been on city land for years. Eviction notices scattered around the lot warn of legal action if people remain or return after it's cleaned up.
Police made two arrests at the camp on Wednesday. One person was cited for drug trafficking, and another for threatening firefighters with a weapon. The "serious criminal activity" and "hostile threat" required immediate action, Weinberger said, noting that prior to Wednesday, the city had been working to establish housing options for its residents.
"In attempting to generate new, needed housing the City’s intent was never to protect criminal activity," the mayor said. "It is clear that the encampment at Sears Lane has become untenable and unacceptable.”
Tags: homelessness , unhoused , Sears Lane , homeless encampment , Burlington Police Department , Mayor Miro Weinberger , Burlington , Web Only , Image
Friday, October 8, 2021
“I have watched, read, ruminated, and prayed over this release. It has been a years' long process,” Kami Calevro wrote in the statement, released to the media through an attorney. “Initially I wanted to hide from it. But this is a part of my life and running from it at the conclusion is not how I would have it end.
"In coming full circle with a statement as myself, as Kami Calevro, I wish to send these words: Let us assure our girls and women that there is no shame in rape, let them know that there is a full life after violent crime, and let us remind everyone that no matter the outcome we all must come together for the greater good of society."
Her assailant, Craig Yandow, is to be released on Wednesday, October 13, after completing his sentence. The Department of Corrections has labeled him a moderate-high risk to commit another sexual offense, in part because he would not participate in sex offender treatment while behind bars. Once released, Yandow will live in Essex. The town police department, along with the Essex Community Justice Center, on Friday evening hosted a virtual meeting to answer questions about his release. About 50 people attended.
Tags: Kami Calevro , Craig Yandow , Burlington , rape , Valentine's Day , Web Only , Image
Tuesday, October 5, 2021
If approved by the full council, police commissioners would "have full and unfettered access" to complaints against police and the ability to hire an investigator to review allegations of misconduct, among other powers — a clear departure from the commission's current advisory role.
City Councilor Karen Paul (D-Ward 6), who chairs the three-member Public Safety Committee, said councilors have worked for months on increasing citizen oversight of police — something activists have demanded since spring 2019, when instances of alleged excessive force by Burlington officers came to light.
Council Progressives had attempted to create a separate oversight body, a "community control board," but Mayor Miro Weinberger vetoed it late last year. That proposal would have required changing the city's charter, whereas the committee's resolution calls for updating a city ordinance.
"This is something that we do have the ability to do and move forward with now," Paul said. "What we've heard time and again from the public is that we want to get going."
Tags: Burlington Police Commission , oversight , Burlington , Burlington Police Department , CNA report , policing , Web Only , Image
Friday, October 1, 2021
Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger convinced an independent consultant to make several changes to its report on the city’s police force before the document was publicly released Friday, including a recommendation to hike the department's roster cap.
The draft version of CNA’s report recommended the city have between 76 and 83 deployable officers, including those assigned to the Burlington International Airport. The final version, however, considers airport staffing separately. It recommends a force of between 72 and 75 deployable officers, with a roster of 77 to 80 “to account for naturally occurring attrition.”
For Weinberger, the final report validates his push to hire more officers after the Progressive-led city council voted last summer to cut the force by 30 percent through attrition. The council has twice rejected requests to raise the cap.
“I actually see the report as very affirming of the administration's positions on the major debates of the last year,” Weinberger said Friday. “It's quite clear that this report is recommending an increase in the officer cap to somewhere between 85 and 88.”
The report does say that the cap could be as high as 88 if the department continues to use eight officers at the airport. But the document also says that the staffing level at BTV can shrink if Burlington police keep the airport beat. Those officers “should not be factored into the overall staffing headcount,” the report said, because they can’t respond to calls away from the airport.
Tags: Burlington , police , CNA , report , assessment , department , recommendations , Web Only , Image
Tuesday, September 28, 2021
Councilors voted 6-6 to create a municipally operated system, which would have had city-owned trucks pick up trash and food waste in addition to recycling, which the city already collects, for residences of up to four units.
A tie vote results in a failed motion, and this one fell largely on party lines: All six Progs voted in favor of the model, and both council independents joined the four Democrats in opposition.
"I had hoped that we would be able to move forward in a bipartisan fashion with a proposal," said Mayor Miro Weinberger, who supports a different collection model. "Perhaps there's still a route that we could do that after tonight."
Tags: Burlington City Council , Mayor Miro Weinberger , trash , waste collection , public works , policing , ARPA , bond , special election , Web Only , Image
Thursday, September 23, 2021
Acting Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad wants to use up to $1.27 million of the city's federal coronavirus recovery funds for bonuses to retain and recruit police officers.
The department roster has shrunk from 92 officers in June 2020 to 68 now — "an unprecedented rate of decline," Murad wrote in a memo to city councilors, who will consider the funding request at their meeting Monday. Only 65 officers are "deployable" as two are on a military deployment and another has an injury and is performing administrative duties, the memo says.
"Staffing shortages, increased overtime, and officer exhaustion are negatively affecting community engagement, response times, and the capacity to respond properly to incidents and follow through on casework," Murad wrote. "If staffing diminishes further, it will not only aggravate these conditions but also make it increasingly difficult to train new officers," as well as civilian employees who respond to nonemergency calls.
Tags: Burlington police , recruitment , retaining , signing bonus , Jon Murad , Burlington , Burlington City Council , Web Only , Image
Wednesday, September 15, 2021
The report also found serious deficiencies at the Burlington Police Department, including inefficient staffing schemes, inadequate training, a lack of oversight and evidence of racial bias. It found that the department’s contract with the Burlington Police Officers’ Association is hamstringing operations and certain aspects should be renegotiated. The current contract expires in June 2022.
The consultants found some bright spots in their review of the department, including its plans to hire unarmed civilians to respond to certain calls, the hiring of a social worker and the department's reduction in traffic stops.
The 168-page report, authored by Virginia-based nonprofit CNA, is expected to guide the city’s decisions about policing into the future; the consultants gave recommendations to improve the deficiencies noted in the report. It comes after more than a year of debate over appropriate police staffing levels that was spurred by protests over police uses of force, particularly against people of color.
City officials received the draft report this week, and Seven Days obtained a copy of the document, which has yet to be finalized and released to the public.
“Policing has reached a pivotal point in history,” the report says, noting that many departments nationwide face problems similar to Burlington’s. “In its response to this assessment, BPD has the opportunity to provide leadership in the policing profession regarding how to constructively respond to the current challenges it faces.”
Tags: Burlington , police report , CNA , Miro Weinberger , Jon Murad , staffing , cuts , Web Only , Image
Tuesday, September 14, 2021
But after hours of public comment on the issue, the resolution’s lead sponsor, Councilor Ali Dieng (I-Ward 7), said he would withdraw the measure and send it back to a council subcommittee for further consideration. His motion passed 6-5, with Councilor Perri Freeman (P-Central District) absent for the vote.
Dieng's resolution — which was first considered last month by the council's Racial Equity, Inclusion and Belonging subcommittee — supported the global boycott, sanction and divest movement known as BDS. Palestinians see the controversial campaign as a fight for human rights, whereas Israelis interpret it as an effort to eliminate the Jewish state.
The resolution called for "justice and [a] peaceful end to Palestine and Israel conflict." After intense backlash, though, Dieng said he realized the resolution was one-sided and vilified Israel without recognizing the persecution of Jews.
"What can we do from our municipal standpoint to promote peace and justice? That's a question we all need to be asked," Dieng said as the clock neared midnight. "We must be a safe space."
Tags: Israeli-Palestinian conflict , Burlington , Burlington City Council , Web Only , Image
Friday, September 10, 2021
The vote came just before midnight, at the end of an unprecedented, nearly six-hour-long termination hearing for Richards, who had been accused of berating subordinates with profanity and using “physically intimidating behavior” — violations of city policy.
After deliberating in private for nearly two hours, the council voted to fire Richards for mistreating employees at the Burlington International Airport. Councilor Ali Dieng (I-Ward 7) cast the only vote against Richards' termination. Councilor Chip Mason (D-Ward 5) recused himself from the proceedings due to a professional conflict of interest.
“The current situation is untenable to retain Mr. Richards as director of aviation,” City Council President Max Tracy (P-Ward 2) said, reading from a prepared statement after the vote. “The evidence and testimony tonight shows that the relationship between Mr. Richards and Mayor Weinberger is broken, and the relationship between Mr. Richards and his staff is also broken.”
“We stand behind our city employees,” Tracy said, “and we believe that our city should be a safe and positive workplace.”
Tags: Burlington , Gene Richards , Burlington International Airport , termination hearing , City Council , Miro Weinberger , Web Only , Image